Deaf tattoo artist Naomi Harada Dalby on opening her shop and her work featuring in The Wall Street Journal (BSL)

Hello, my name is Naomi, my tattoo name is Lone Bee Tattoo and I am based in Barton Upon Humber. I am a Tattoo Artist and shop owner of Lone Bee & Co.

I am Profoundly deaf in my right ear and severe in my left. I use a hearing aid and use BSL and spoken English. I can lipread really well too. My communication methods enable me to be able to work with and chat to all kinds of people.

I have always found tattooing interesting, however I found getting a “foot in the door” incredibly difficult and it took me around 16 years to get an opportunity to become a tattoo artist. A lot of it stems from lack of understanding and awareness around deafness and Deaf people.

I do a wide range of styles; I love creating tattoo pieces from people’s requests and adding things to make it finish better and surprise people with additional ideas for their requested style.

My favourite technique is stippling, this is where my hand speed is faster than tattoo needle speed which creates a dotty effect. I also do this for colours, it gives it a nice soft finish and it’s not often you see this type of work.

Tattoos for me, are art. The body is a canvas, tattoos give people a sense of identity and sometimes confidence. Don’t like your legs? Slap a nice tattoo on! It gives you a sense of confidence.

I tattoo a wide range of clients who have had their own difficult journeys in life, for example, self-harm, trauma, abuse etc, then when they reach the time in their life that they feel strong enough, they then get a tattoo that represents abuse or self-harm. This gives them closure and strength to own their past.

Some people prefer to cover up self-harm scars with flowers or a phoenix to represent rebirth. I love how people come into my shop as themselves and leave a different person. They are incredibly happy, and it can be quite emotional seeing their faces especially when they look at themselves in the mirror.

Some people have tattoos that represent a lost loved one, the tattoo then feels like a keepsake and that it’s with them forever. When I get requests especially for images relating to lost loved ones, I like to learn more about the person, their likes and dislikes etc and create something unique for them.

The process of setting a studio up was a straightforward process but also a minefield in terms of contacting the relevant departments as most were telephone contacts.

However I love working in the studio because of the staff there, how the place is decorated and how it feels like home away from home.

A recent tattoo that has stuck with me is a photograph of client’s father in an Austin Coal lorry. Its black and white and he wanted it similar on his calf. He recently lost his dad when he made the booking, so it made it more profound.

The funniest tattoo request was two ladies who have been best friends for many years and decided they wanted matching tattoos using two of their toes as part of the Oompa Loompa legs.

When I first got the email, I thought it was a joke, a time waster but no they promptly paid the deposit and came to their appointment in merry spirits!

I think barriers exist everywhere for Deaf people in general and I definitely think there’s a barrier for deaf clients wanting tattoos as a lot of artists can be impatient and not want to spend time trying to understand an email.

If English isn’t the deaf persons first language and it’s a face to face consultation, there’s a lot of opportunities for miscommunication to happen regarding design ideas. I have personally seen some artists send deaf clients to another artist, so they don’t have to do the “difficult” work themselves.

As a Deaf tattoo artist, the only barriers I find is if I find a client difficult to lipread. I tend to explain that I am deaf and ask them to show me a reference to what they want. I also explain the best way to get a quote is to email the shop with a reference, and any additional information.

I haven’t yet had a client that hasn’t emailed me after finding out I am deaf!

One time when my hearing aid stopped working, I put a new battery in and it still didn’t work and I was halfway through a session with a client.

I explained to the client that my hearing aid wasn’t working so I could still speak to her but I wouldn’t be able to understand her completely. She was so understanding that she used pen and paper / mobile phone instead to show me what she wanted to say! She said it was a good distraction tool from tattoo pain! So win win!

I mainly attract Hearing people currently; however word is spreading and I’m slowly getting more and more Deaf clients which is my goal. I want them to feel that there are no barriers in communication, no risk of miscommunication.

I also offer video call / video messages instead of text-based messages to make the transition easier.

I have had several Deaf people describe experiences where they’ve had tattoos and there’s been NO communication between client and artist. It saddens me because getting tattooed can be painful and you are entitled to taking a breather.

So, to not be able to say to your artist, could I have 5 minutes to relax and have a snack/drink makes the session really unenjoyable.

Also, many have also said they are not 100% happy with their tattoos due to the communication barrier too. Some have said they felt they couldn’t explain what they were not happy with before being tattooed so they’ve just accepted and paid.

I am not aware of other Deaf tattoo artists in the UK, there are lots in Europe, America etc but none in the UK it seems. My ambition is to show that yes, Deaf people can do this and hopefully spread a bit of confidence in those who wish to seek a similar career to me!

Don’t let people’s opinions or the stigma attached to deafness hold you back, just because you cannot hear, doesn’t mean you cannot tattoo. Although there are specific sounds that you need to listen out for when tattooing people which linked to judging the right depth for skin, not too deep that causes blow outs and not too shallow which means ink drops out, I’ve learned to feel it instead.

I recently received an email from Wall Street Journal asking me questions regarding a tattoo they have seen of mine. Initially I thought it was another spam email but I had a gut feeling to investigate it more.

I researched the name of journalist, the magazine and cross referenced everything and it checked out. The journal subject was how “America Is Swimming in Sauce” – it also involved people in the UK and used  their quotes.

They found my tattoo post regarding a Heinz Ketchup bottle tattoo on Instagram, and it all went from there! I found it incredibly funny, and I just think it’s amazing how my tattoo and name has ended up in Wall Street.

Looking ahead, I have been invited to an international Deaf business event in France this year. I am excited at the prospect of meeting many other Deaf business people from around the world!

You can find Naomi on Facebook, Instagram and also reach out via email: 

https://www.facebook.com/lonebeetattoo/

https://www.instagram.com/lone_bee_tattoo/

Lonebeetattoo@hotmail.com